The Dark: Chapter Ten (Unabridged)

    You need some air. Your excuse- your bottle has been empty for quite some time now. You need something to wet your lips. The real reason: you really do need some air. It's starting to smell like sex up in there. You glance briefly in the rear view mirror. Kelly and Fifi are obviously not bothered by it. but then, why would they be?
    Just to cover all your bases, however, you ask them if you can get them anything. Kelly immediately waves you away, making it clear that all she wants is for you to get lost. Absolutely ready to oblige, you slip on your shoes and reach for the door. You have one foot out when Fifi stops you and tells you that a couple of more beers would be awesome, thanks. You nod and give her a weak smile.
    "Sure."
    Tilting her head to the side Fifi replies your smile with an apologetic one. She totally gets it.
    "And take your time."
    You nod again. Letting her know that you know what she's offering you. and that youre thankful.
    As you step out of the car however, you realise that her offering is more self serving than anything else. That she's not doing you a favor but setting the stage to do herself one. And in this case the favor has a name. A name and a white yankee fitted on her head. One that at the moment happens to be turned sideways.
    But it's not like Kelly's complaining, you tell yourself.
    Then leave her to it, you say.
    And so to vent the frustration you try to convince yourself isnt there, you close the door a little harder than neccessary. But instead of turning back to apologise like you normally would have, you stuff your hands in your pocket and insipidly decide to walk back towards the party.
    Fifi's car is parked more than half a block from away but even though, people from the party are milling about everywhere. Couples looking for somewhere to be alone, guys who have had a bit too much to drink looking for somewhere to take a piss because the line inside is just too damn long. as well as the mandatory vomit victims designated for every party who stand doubled over puking in the grass, on the side walk, in the street gutter...anywhere and everywhere really.
    Dodging a puking duo, one doing the puking, the other holding her hair out of her face for her, you lose your balance and find yourself slamming into a red jacket. You feel something crumple against your front and then youre wet, very, very wet.
    "where'd you learn to walk, freak show?"
    You know who it is even before you look up from your beer drenched t-shirt. You inwardly groan.
    "Hey, I asked you a question."
    His eyes red and squinty from a cocktail of beer, liquor, weed and God knows what else, you realise that Reggie is not someone to piss off right then. Especially not when he has his entire offensive line with him.
    "I- I was juss...my mind was somewhere else." You say lamely.
    Surrounded by a forest of red jackets youre starting to feel very small....
    Reggie scoffs.
    "Your mind was somewhere else?" He mocks.
    ...very, very small indeed.
    "Tell me Freakshow, where's Fifi and your lil' lesbian girlfriend? I wanna talk to them."
    You know for a fact that talking is not one of Reggie's strongsuits and so it's quite obvious to you that he must have something else in mind for them. Not good. And so feeling a shitload more than a little protective of the two girls parked in the black mustang juss down the street you say nothing because passive resistance is alot safer in such situations than open defiance. 'Alot' being rather relative in such explosive situations, of course.
    "You do talk, dont you Freakshow?"
    The ice underfoot is becoming dangerously thin. The red jackets the expanse of your vision. but still you decide venture out.    
    What are you, crazy? You ask yourself.
     You must be because you still say nothing.
    Reggie chuckles to himself. Runs his tongue over his lips. First once. Then twice.
    The punch comes out of nowhere. Hitting you in the gut, just below the ribcage. You double over and as you do feel rough hands grab you and straighten you up until your eyes are level with Reggie's. Theyre as angry as a raging bull's and you suddenly realise that youre in serious trouble. Not only you but Fifi and Kelly as well. You know that this cant end well.
    "Now I'm going to ask you again: where are they?"
    You get the sudden nerve to ask him what the hell for but for some odd reason your mouth isnt working. Probably your sense of self preservation kicking in. What your subconcious does not know, however, is that at the moment your sense of self preservation is more self destructive than self saving. Your concious self is fully aware of this, however, and so you wince in anticipation of another blow. You wait for a few seconds but it doesnt come. Instead the threat of something a whole lot worse comes in its place. A glint of metal flashes in front of your face. No one has to tell you what it is. Reggie places the cold edge of the blade against your neck.
    "Since your mouth isnt working, youre juss going to have to show me, arent you?"
    Your sense of self preservation processing this new development, you nod your head slowly, knowing that there is no way around it. Christening yourself an Iscariot even as you do.
    Reggie smiles.
    "Good."
    The blade disappears. Then giving you a shove Reggie tells you to lead the way. A space appears in the red jacket forest and with another shove Reggie forces you through it.
    "We dont have all night."
    You feel as if your body is one step behind your head because even though youre willing your legs to move theyre not responding. Giving yourself a silent pep talk you remind your legs that if they dont fall into line like 10 seconds ago you might very well have your ass stuck with a knife. This seems to do the trick and almost immediately you find yourself moving forwards.
    With the entire highschool offensive line flanking you, you attract more than a few stares. Most of them watching you as if they never expect to see you alive again.
    What a wonderful feeling you think with mild disdain. But then you cant really blame them. If you were in their shoes you would probably stop and watch the show as well. That is until a few of Reggie's lackeys start physically telling people to mind their own business.
    The street empties pretty quickly.
    It's not long before the black mustang comes into view. Reggie must know it because his step quickens just as your heart does. Going up to the rear window he knocks on it lightly.
    It takes a couple of moments but you watch as the window is wound down.
    "What do you want?" Fifi asks defiantly.
    "Get out."
    Looking past Reggie, Fifi catches your eye. Sizes you up then the red jackets on either side of you. When her eyes come back to yours theres no mistaking what you see there.
    They had a knife on me, you wish you could tell her. I was scared. But you cant and make do with putting as much of an apology into your expression as you can.
    If she notices you cant tell.
    "I said get out of the fucking car Fifi."
    Fifi turns her attenton back to Reggie. She knows him well enough not to fuck with him right then but that doesnt stop her from blatantly asking him what the fuck for.
    Furious, Reggie virtually rips the door off its hinges with one arm and pulls Fifi out of the car with the other. Dragging her away from it he tells a couple of his lackeys to get Kelly.
    They manage to but Kelly doesnt make it easy for them; kicking and scratching and screaming and hissing like an angry cat being threatened by a much larger and very dangerous dog.
    "Shut her up!" Reggie growls having managed to shut his captor up with a vicious slap across the face that she is still reeling from.
    And through this all you stand there, completely frozen, unable to react. You know you should be doing something but youre just too frightened. Youve never been in such a situation before. You dont know what to do.
     Then something penetrates your brain like a needle into a patients arm injecting you with a much needed fluid: Courage. It's Kelly screaming your name. begging you for help. Whereas before your head was one step ahead of your body, now your body is two ahead of your head. Before you know what is happening, youre lunging at the two red jackets holding Kelly, fists swinging. You dont know what youre doing with them, youve never been in a fight in your life but its better than nothing.
    Then quite suddenly you feel someone grab the back of your shirt and tug at it. hard. You try to resist it but whoever it is tugs again.
    Suddenly youre falling and then Crack! the back of your skull hits the sidewalk. Everything goes black for a moment but the pain shooting around your head like a gun fight in an old country western lets you know that youre still very much concious.
    You feel something come down hard on your chest, knocking the wind out of you. Someone is straddling you. You can still hear the screaming but it sounds as if it is coming from far away. Confused you open your eyes to see what's going on when your vision is filled with a ringed fist closing in on your face. Its too late to dodge it and a second later you both hear and feel the cartilege and bone in your nose shatter beneath the blow.
    Blood explodes from your nostrils and as you cry out in pain some pours into your mouth. Its coppery taste manages to keep you concious but just barely.
    You instinctively bring your hands to your face as a shower of blows come raining down on your head. They keep coming again and again, some of them missing alot of them connecting as you squirm like a worm under the weight of your assailant.
    And just as you feel as if you cant take anymore, it stops. The red jacket sitting on your stomach gets off, gets up and drags you to your feet. You cant keep them under you, however, and after a few failed attempts of getting you to stay on your feet the red jacket holding you hoists you off your feet and onto his shoulder.
    You kick out but your feet connect with nothing but air. Panic pumping through your vains, you then lash out with your fists, this time managing to connect. Your effort is inaffectual however, and after a few moments of futility you give up.
    Then as if from a distant shore you hear Reggie shout a command. The ground begins to unevenly move beneath you, your assailant's shoulder jabbing into your stomach rythmically. Youre being taken somewhere.
    You try your best to have a look around, to see where you are going but all that fills your vision is either your captor's back and legs or the passing pavement beneath you. With not much choice, you decide to wait and see where you wind up.
    It cant be that bad, can it?
    A part of you, however, knows that it can be that bad. and that it probably is.
    That this night can and probably will turn into a complete nightmare unless you can find some way to get out of it. The only question is: How?
    You have no time to think on a solution, however, because as suddenly as you were hoisted up onto your assailents shoulder you are thrown off, landing on the ground in a heap. It takes a moment for you to gather your breath and your wits about you but once you have, however, you dare a look around. The first thing that strikes you is that your lying not on the pavement like you had expected but somewhere grassy. The grass being several inches long, already starting to itch your bare arms.
    You are in a clearing of some kind. Not big, maybe the size of a living room. Its surrounded by trees and you begin to wonder how you had been brought here without you noticing. It must have taken some time to get there because you are in the middle of nowhere.
    Kelly and Fifi lie in the grass beside you and there are red jackets everywhere. The girls' moans rouse you and you try to stand. Youre barely on your feet, however, before youre knocked back down, landing on your back your breath getting knocked out of you. A towering figure suddenly fills your vision. Its reggie.
    You manage to gulp down a lungful of much needed air.
    "What do you want?" you gasp. You regret the question as soon as it leaves your lips.
    Reggie smiles down menacingly at you.
    "hey boys, small fry over here is asking me what I want....what do I want boys?"
    Reggie doesnt wait for an answer but walks over to where kelly and fifi are lying.
    "What I want," he continues, nudging fifi in the stomach with the toe of his sneaker,
    "is for these two ladies to give us a show."
    Squatting, Reggie positions himself between the two girls.
    "How about it ladies?" He looks from one crumpled form to the other.
    "You up for it?"
    When neither of them answers, reggie gets back on his feet and grabbing fifi drags her onto hers. He commands one of his red jackets to do the same to kelly and another to you. While Kelly pushes away the red clad arms and jumps to her feet herself, you let your self be dragged to your feet, not really seeing the difference.
     "You see the problem with girls these days is that they think everything is up for debate." Reggie says through clenched teeth holding Fifi by her hair.
    "When I was asking if you were up for it I wasnt really asking. What I was really saying is 'give us a show or your night is about to become a whole lot worse.' You understand?"
    When Fifi doesnt answer Reggie yanks her hair hard, making her cry out.
    "I said 'Do you understand?'"
    Fifi manages a nod. Letting go of her hair Reggie shoves her towards Kelly.
    "Then let's see it."
    Noticing a slight limp in her step you watch as Fifi walks to where Kelly is. They share a brief moment of silent communication and mutual understanding and you watch as they almost visibly draw strength from one another. And then gently placing a hand on Fifi's cheek, Kelly leans in and softly kisses Fifi on the lips. At first it is tight lipped and mechanical but after a few moments you watch as their fear melts into a manic passion. Their desire for one another emanating off of them like some radioactive substance.
    A couple of the red jackets begin to cat call but Reggie silences them with a menacing look and growling at them to shut the fuck up and just enjoy the show.
    The sound of Reggie's voice breaks the spell, however and you watch as the girls come back to themselves, fear once again flooding their veins. They turn to Reggie in unison, their eyes wide, silently pleading with him to let them go.
    "Did I tell you to stop?" he asks them crossing his arms across his chest.
    Unable to answer, all the girls do is stand there, hoping against hope that Reggie just might let them go.
    "Listen," Reggie says taking a threatening step towards them,
    "If your not willing to give us a show, I'm quite sure some of these guys would be more than willing to participate."
    The implications of Reggie's words are quite clear. and quite frightening. Knowing where this is heading you try and will yourself into action but you cant move. Your body is no longer your own. No longer obeying your commands. Like Kelly and Fifi, fear has rooted you to where you stand. Your feet as immovable as the roots of a hundred year old tree.
    For a few frightening moments there is nothing but absolute silence. Each passing second of inactivity bringing Fifi and Kelly closer and closer to doom. Slowly Kelly and fifi turn their heads to face eachother. Your heart sinks. You know what theyre thinking even as they think it. It wont work, you mouth to yourself, wishing there was some way you could tell them that. Its too late however, they have already made up their minds.
    As if in low motion, you watch as the girls spring into action, bolting in opposite directions, both heading for the looming tree line.
    Shouting a command, Reggie launches himself after Kelly as two of the red jackets head to cut Fifi off.
    Reggie easily tackles Kelly to the ground and fifi only makes it a few yards before she's also knocked off her feet. Their escape is over even before it has began. You suddenly feel light headed and woozy and begin to sway on your feet. The hands that dragged you to your feet, however, roughly steady you and make sure you stay on them.
    You watch as Kelly thrashes beneath Reggie but its quite obvious that she is no match for him. He holds her down with no apparent effort and simply waits for her to get tired. The two lackeys who went after Fifi drag her back to the group. Shes also thrashing about but if Kelly is no match for Reggie then Fifi is certainly going to do no better with two red jackets on her case.
    Calling on two more of his lackeys, Reggie tell them to come and hold Kelly down. Getting to his feet Reggie strips off his jacket and moves out of their way. He takes a second to dab at his lower lip with the back of his hand where Kelly has apparently landed a blow.
    "It seems you want to do this the hard way." Reggie says, sounding a bit out of breath.
    Walking over to where Fifi is being held down by his lackeys Reggie stands at her feet, peering down at her.
    "I already know what you taste like sweetie, maybe its time to try something new. What do you think?"
    Fifi begins to plead with him, her wimpering making her words almost inaudible.
    You can hear the smile in his voice as Reggie tells Fifi that he already gave her a chance,
    "Now shut up and get whats coming to you."
    Turning on his heel, Reggie turns to face the rest of his flock of red jackets.
    "Its open season boys...and dont be gentle."
    Then pointing at you he tells them to make sure you watch.
    You try to turn your head as Reggie kneels down at Kelly's feet, who is being held down spread eagled, but you feel two hands hold your head in place and just as Reggie commanded, make you watch.
    The first scream peirces your soul like a barbed arrow and then...
    NOTHING.